The veteran pharma expert Dr C Gopalakrishna Murthy has been unanimously elected the president of Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) for a two year term from April 1 this year.

The doyen of pharma industry, academia and regulatory affairs, Dr Murthy’s election to the post of president was held on consensus, according to people associated with IPA. He replaces Dr B Suresh.

The outgoing president, Dr Suresh has officially announced Dr Murthy’s elevation in the IPA Convention 2010, held in Chennai recently.

After securing a Post Graduate Degree in Pharmacy in 1951, Murthy joined the Andhra Pradesh State Drugs Control Department, where he rose to the position of director of State Drugs Control Administration.

He held the post of director from 1982-89 and was the first technically qualified officer to hold this post. He played a catalytic role in putting Andhra Pradesh on the national drugs and pharmaceutical map. He is the recipient of various fellowships and awards. He got WHO Fellowship (1969-70) to study Food and Drugs Administration and the Pharmaceutical industry in USA, UK, West Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, France, Italy and the erstwhile USSR. In 1981, Murthy was awarded the prestigious Fellowship of the Academy of Sciences – AP in recognition of his contribution to the various fields of Pharmacy.

In the field of pharmaceutical education, he played an important role which is reflected by his association with educational institutions and bodies in various capacities as Academia of Kakatiya University (Member of Board of Studies; Examiner), Andhra and Madurai Universities (Examiner) and Andhra University Pharma Alumni Charitable Trust (AUPACT) as one of the founding Trustees as well as its first Managing Trustee.

In the sphere of Regulatory Affairs, he had close interaction with many regulatory bodies such as Pharmacy Council of India (Executive Council member); Drugs Technical Advisory Board (Member), the Drugs Consultative Committee (Member). Murthy was president of Andhra Pradesh State Pharmacy Council for Five years. He originated the concept of divisions in the IPA and was the first chairman of the regulatory division during 1997–2000 and vice-president, IPA.

He is on the board of directors of some reputed pharmaceutical firms in Hyderabad like Sri Krishna Drugs Ltd, Sri Krishna Pharmaceuticals and Gland Pharma Pvt Ltd.

In professional bodies like IPA & IPCA, his was actively involved for over four decades. He is the Life Member of IPA, president of the AP chapter, Executive Council Member of the CEC for 3 terms and presently is a Special Invitee to the CEC. IPA-AP named Murthy the Pharmacist of the Year (93), IPA Fellowship award (97) and Life Long Contribution to Pharmacy Profession in India award by IPA in 2000. He played an active role in organizing many IPCA Congresses and has contributed as Chairman of various committees (Finance, Souvenir and Local Organizing Committee), General Secretary (1989–92) and President (2000–01). Murty presided over the 52nd IPC held in Hyderabad in 2000.

In 2003, he was awarded ‘IPA- Shri Ramanbhai B. Patel Life Time Achievement Award’ and ‘IPA-Eminent Pharmacist Award’ in 2006 for the services rendered in the fields of Pharmacy Profession through Regulatory Affairs & Industry. He was also awarded Acharya P C Ray Memorial Gold Medal- 2008, by the IPA, West Bengal Branch, Kolkota. In recognition of his contribution to the field of Pharmacy Profession, Gopalakrishna Murty has been awarded Honorary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Westbrook University, USA in 2008.